Louisiana Settles Federal ADA Complaint About ‘Conditional’ Rules For Attorneys With Mental Health Disorders

On August 14, 2014, the Louisiana Supreme Court entered a settlement agreement with the federal Department of Justice (DOJ) to resolve a discrimination complaint about the state’s “conditional” rules for attorneys and prospective applicants with mental health disabilities. The complaint was filed by the Bazelon Center on behalf of two Louisiana attorneys who were admitted to the bar on a “conditional” basis because of their mental health history. On February 5, 2014, the DOJ had informed the state that its practice of inquiring about the mental health status of attorneys seeking admission to the state bar violated the Americans . . .